Sustaining progress towards NTD elimination: An opportunity to leverage lymphatic filariasis elimination programs to interrupt transmission of soil-transmitted helminths.

In light of the unprecedented momentum to control or eliminate ten neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by 2020, the NTD community is at a crossroads of opportunity. Efforts to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) using mass drug administration (MDA) platforms have dramatically and simultaneously increased the number of individuals treated for soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) in many areas, owing to overlaps in endemicity and drug efficacy. A concomitant reduction in STH infection raises the possibility of moving beyond current World Health Organization (WHO) morbidity control guidelines to actual disease elimination for STHs [1]. We identify specific rationale, opportunities, and challenges associated with leveraging existing LF elimination platforms for the purpose of interrupting STH transmission.